Jack out for the season. If true, you can’t say you didn’t see it coming.

So the morning kicks off in miserable fashion. Jack Wilshere, according to the Arsenal spies on Twitter… then the newspapers, is out for the Bayern game, then there’s a good chance he’s out for the rest of the season. In isolation, I’m not really fussed if he’s out as a precaution against Bayern. That game is lost. The chances of scoring 3 goals over there is slim in the extreme and like I’ve said before, we’d only get found out in the quarters. However, if he’s out for the end of the season, that really does raise cause for concern.

I’m wary of dropping into a massive rant about this before I know the facts, but the sources saying this is terminal for the season are some of the most reliable about. My main aggravation with this, and I’m seriously aggravated typing this, is that this issue was written about here in November. Wenger has boasted about the size of his squad all year, yet he’s played Jack, Arteta and Cazorla in every game he can. We knew this was the case in December and January. We knew the risk of the red zone and we knew the history of Jack and injury. How the manager was allowed to go through the whole of that month without picking up a midfielder to bear some of the burden is quite amazing.

What do you get when you ignore historical injury patterns along with the data that indicates overuse of players results injury? An injured player at the crucial part of the season. Now, in fairness to the club, they’ve managed fitness far better than they have done in the past. We’ve mostly had a full squad to pick from this year. That doesn’t mean we haven’t been over playing certain members of our squad. Theo has been ok because his season basically started in October, the midfield has been overplayed and as for the back four… well, it doesn’t seem to matter who we slip in there.

So, we head into the Munich game Jackless. That’ll likely mean a return to the mix of Thomas Rosicky. That’s not a terrible replacement. He’s looked lively when he’s been given a chance over the past few months. The question mark over him hangs over fitness. The other question mark hangs over managerial preference. We know that if given the choice, the manager will generally always opt to put Aaron Ramsey in his place. The trouble with this game is that we have to chase it. If we were heading into it level pegging, we could go for a 4-5-1 and look for a counter attack and bulk out our lack of quality with additional players.

That’s not the case. We’re chasing the game. We won’t have Jack in there to add bite and I have my doubts whether any three man midfield combo we have available could compete.

Still, miracles happen… look at Madrid away a few years ago. Difference then is that we did have some serious quality in there… we don’t have a Thierry or a Sol Campbell these days.

In other news, Chuba Akpom continued his superb scoring run with another goal against Southampton in a 2-0 win. I try not to excite myself about the kids coming through. I had high hopes for Kyle Bartley, Chuks Aneke and Benik Afobe… all big names on the Arsenal youth blog scene (weren’t two of them technically perfect at 12?), all kind of simmered out into not so great players. It’s amazing how much we invest in our youth system compared to the output… especially as we poach a large bulk of it from clubs just when they’re turning ripe.

What’s the deal there? Is it that London just doesn’t produce the kids it should? Is it our training methods? Is it that we don’t inspire the kids? Or is it just the fact that it’s really f*cking hard to grow great players?

Anyway, enough of my yammering. Have a great day. See you in the comments.

“It is difficult we know that, but it is not impossible… The only way to make it possible is to have a real go – that’s what we’ll do. Turning up expecting to go out would be absolutely unacceptable for us.”

Dear M. Wenger

You are missing the point. A club as great as ours, with the resources, money and history at our disposal should not be in this predicament in the first place. Why are we having to appeal to the football gods for a miracle?

Here’s why.

1. You persist with deadwood whilst selling our stars
2. You forego buying quality then run our first XI into the ground
3. You don’t adapt to the opposition’s strengthens and exploit their tactical weaknesses.
4. You don’t change. You think you know best. You are a man, not the club. No man is bigger than the club. You could have left this club a legend, all you are leaving is EIGHT trophyless years. Self belief is one thing… self delusion is another.

pedro – which one of the 3 academy players you mentioned were given a senior game to show they could cut it at that level. None of them.
So theyre no good because le prof didnt give them a chance. Sorry thats bollocks. Miguel a player any half wit can see isnt good enough for the shirt has played SIX TIMES its clear the level of investment in him is not reflected in his ability especially alongside Bartley. Jenkinson was bought from Charlton when on loan at a non league club with 1million invested in him
hes overtaken another capable full back in Yennaris. i guess despite keeping Nani quiet v man u a few years back i guess he also is no good.
As an “informed” blogger it might help you to ask why only 1 player has played 50 games from the academy since 2001. Cole emerged prior to the formation of Hale End as an academy and Gibbs doesnt count he came from Wimbledon and all the others you will mention were BOUGHT from OTHER academies at 16. So in a city full of talented kids the coaches were incapable of getting more than 1 player into the 1st team. This is a sad indictment on Brady and Wenger who have denied local players the opportunity to play first team football but allowed players like Denilson Bendtner Aliadre Squlliaci Djorou
Senderous and too many others to block and kill off the careers of equally talented players.

Milan were abysmal tonight. It was nothing like the first leg where they played without fear, with conviction and determination. Tonight they were scared, hapless and totally dominated by Barcelona and the spectre of 90,000 whistling pinheads. It’s amazing how teams just go to pieces when they visit that ground; totally useless.

That’s a team, even at 2-0 down, without an important away goal, the whole world knew they were in it. Those were 11 geniuses on the pitch, yet with the workrate of also rans. Sadly, we lack the two main ingredients they have: talent and hunger. Since the first leg everybody knew we were out of it, and even much more sadly, WE WILL PROVE THEM RIGHT. May Wenger catch Ebola.

This chuckled me: “we could go for a 4-5-1 and look for a counter attack and bulk out our lack of quality with additional players.”
When has the way we play ever changed?? The only time I can think of was when we played Barca a couple seasons ago. Enlighten me! we’ll set out the same as usual!

Other than the delusional ramblings of a madman who thinks we might have a chance, I don’t think anybody on the planet has any hope for us to turn it around. It would have to be an extraordinary night for that to happen; e.g. Bayern go down to 10 men early in the match or completely lose their discipline in the 18 yard box.

There is no logic or mode of play we can adopt to overcome Bayern with the set of players we have. It is going to be a struggle keeping them out given our shambolic defence and nobody will be surprised when we come away having once again capitulated and knocked out of another competition. As delusional as he is, even Wenger won’t be surprised.

I was listening to George Graham on Talk Sport yesterday (he did a 35 minute interview) and his take on why we’ve fallen so far is that Wenger has lost his touch in the transfer market. What he forgot to mention is that while good managers try to find gems to bring to the team, great managers mix it up by supplementing the team with super quality as well. All Wenger does is “talk” about it but never actually do it. So now that the gems have dried up, we find ourselves drowning in useless junk.

Another trait of a great manager is to take heed from other people (like his number two) and examine his methods – question his philosophies; ask “is this working and if not why not”. Wenger doesn’t do any of that. He never changes tactics or philosophy because he believes they worked once and they will work again but when they don’t, it’s always external forces that scupper our chances like the referee or the pitch or the schedule or financial doping or the lack of mental strength.

We have been failing so frequently and for so long now that it is obvious to everyone but the most stupid people that he needs to change or leave and of course he does neither. How can we as fans not get upset and frustrated at this? How can anyone live with this madness and continue to call ourselves a big club? How can a club such as ours lose to division two and Championship teams and get knocked out of domestic cups? Is it really bad luck? How can it be? It has been happening regularly for the last 8 years. Our wage bill alone should ensure that we reach the final of at least one domestic cup. But no, we can’t even do that.

Tonight, we will enter the coliseum once again without a cat’s chance in hell of remaining in the last tournament on offer. The Champions League has been the bedrock of Wenger’s tenure and in 16 consecutive attempts we have not won it once. That is a poor record. This season, it looks like our chances of finishing in the top four are slim but you can guarantee that even if we qualify for CL again, we will be knocked out again by better teams of which in Europe there are many.

It is obvious that we have lost our way and the manager no longer has any clue about how to turn it around. He’s been trying the same old tired methods and his failure has meant that over the last decade our best players have lost their patience and left. Yes, we’ve made lots of profit from selling them but at what cost? It’s a false economy from whichever angle you look at it. Making a profit at the cost of success on the pitch is madness and the lunacy continues unchallenged. It is nothing less than a total travesty.

I sympathise fully with that stance. A lot of fans (like you and me) have lost their appetite for the club because of this seemingly unending situation with Wenger. He is solely responsible for taking the joy and excitement out of it. I don’t blame you. Unless and until this dark cloud over us is lifted, I can’t see us seriously competing for anything in the foreseeable. We have become a walking corpse.

@pedro jack wilsheres injuries isnt just down to fatigue. The role he plays isnt defined. He does alot because he can but does he need to be doing it?
His overall game will decline if he doesnt define himself. Jack of all trades master of none. Jack hasnt polished his attributes. He is lazy with his attributes. The muscle mass and strength in both of his legs are uneven. He hasnt developed the strength of his passing angles. With the inside and outside of the foot. Short,mid and long range passing takes different power levels to accomplish and varied techniques. you cant pick and choose when to play him because of burn out. He is good enough to play. Change his position. Train and strengthen his technique. he needs to be explosive in moments not a continuous water carry merchant. It puts the fire out in his belly. No doubt he should be playing the messi role or further up the pitch strictly explosive. People say he doesnt create enough because a he is either gassed by the time he needs to or he passes the torch like a captain. Should he have this much confusion. If used right he could become the best player in the world at some point. If you dont believe me about his injuries not just being down to being overused have a look at any wilshere video and just concentrate on his ankles with passes, control and running. Theo walcott is the best at the club for balanced agility,running style and physical mechanisms. cazorla also. Cazorla because of the use of both legs. Transitioning between legs,which one supports and which one acts. . He also needs to be able to trust whats going on behind him. Some of the players are not good enough. Management cant just be blamed. Look at vermaelan vs bayern and their third goal or lennons against spurs. No trained or good defender should have to be told about awareness. Basically he is to scared to be a defender. He dosnt dictate he reacts. 2ND TIER PLAYERS. Signings are needed

also wilshers legs are too short to be attempting the wide range of passing he does. beckhams freekicks would be difficult with short legs. hence artetas freekick technique. Personally i think barca know this thats why they keep players within short distances to control their physical capabilities. At the end of the day . Vision and football intelligance is only projected through your physical capabilities. wenger and the short feet comment, no coincidence a short man made the one inch punch famous.

A win tonight shows support for wenger who blatantly could not give a toss about the travelling support out there tonight! Will he offer them their money back after the mauling tonight …. No I don’t think he will. The most important thing is that we don’t qualify for champs league next season. Then he will go 12 months later.

i dont care what wenger says. what im saying is wilsheres problem isnt over a period of time it is within game time. so 30 games or 3 IT DOESNT MATTER he causes this damage himself. obviously wenger doesnt help by playing him so much. he just adds to the problem.

I think the time has come for him to go. I really could not give a toss about tonight, Saturday the rest of the season ! Until this French farce is overi will not care about my team . The team is a fraud the board are liars the whole of arsenal stinks.

@pedro instead of having this sadist relationship with wenger. do me a favour. go and watch a wilshere compilation and just look at his ankles only. Ramsey is the same.They have baby legs. underdeveloped. muscle memory. they havnt got. If it makes you feel any better the coaching is missing these flaws. OBviously the coaching staff buzz of the variation of passes but not realising how it was done.

Taxi for Wenger tonight at 10pm please. A single way journey from Munich to Paris.
We the fans can transfer the rest of his belongings over to him by DHL. Well, we wouldn’t want to burden the board with extra cost now, would we ?

As someone else pointed out elsewhere on the web, the two best players in the world have played in every game this season, I also read that when Ipswich won the UEFA cup in 1981 they used a total of 14 players in 63 games. This rotation talk is nonsense.